Columbia’s Spirit Communications Park named ‘Ballpark of the Year’

Ballpark Digest honored Spirit Communications Park on Tuesday as its 2016 Ballpark of the Year. The home of the Columbia Fireflies, which is the New York Mets’ South Atlantic League affiliate, was selected as the top park across Minor League Baseball nationally for 2016. Representatives from Ballpark Digest will present the award to the Fireflies and representatives from the city of Columbia on Aug. 11 during their home game against the Greensboro Grasshoppers.

To commemorate this honor for Spirit Communications Park, the Fireflies will host a special pre-game ceremony and will distribute commemorative posters to the first 2,500 fans in attendance at the Aug. 11 ballgame.

“Spirit Communications Park is not only our Ballpark of the Year, it’s also one of the best ballparks opened in the last decade,” said Ballpark Digest Publisher Kevin Reichard. “The ballpark is the centerpiece of serious economic development in Columbia, and an already-great fan experience should only improve once the Bull Street development advances.”

Crews broke ground on Spirit Communications Park on Jan. 6, 2015, and the multi-use park hosted its first baseball game April 14, 2016, in front of a sellout crowd of 9,077. To date, 181,673 fans have passed through the park’s gates for Fireflies games, and more than 10,000 people have attended community and private events at the ballpark.

“We are thrilled to receive this recognition from one of the leading publications in our industry, Ballpark Digest,” said Jason Freier, managing owner of the Fireflies. “Spirit Communications Park is a beautiful facility, provides an experience that is second to none and has become a true gathering place for the citizens of Columbia. We look forward to decades of affordable family friendly entertainment and building on the relationship with our fans and our community.”

Spirit Communications Park is home to more than just baseball. Since its opening, the facility has hosted church and community gatherings, business meetings, charity events and festivals. On Oct. 22, Spirit Communications Park will host the Palmetto Health Foundation’s Walk for Life and Famously Hot Pink Half Marathon, 5K and 10K, which is expected to have upwards of 10,000 participants. It also will play host to numerous concerts, high school and college baseball, football and soccer games.

“We are honored that Spirit Communications Park was selected for this tremendous distinction,” said team President John Katz. “We’re delighted to share this award with our wonderful community who make the atmosphere at Spirit Communications Park one of the best in all of Minor League Baseball. With the imminent growth of the Commons at BullStreet, the ballpark will continue to be a true entertainment destination for our community and for out-of-town guests.”

With the recent announcement of a 10-screen luxury cinema, the Fireflies will have new neighbors in the not-too-distant future. A host of retail, residential and commercial space will also surround the venue in the years to come.

“This is classic, family-friendly entertainment,” Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin said about the park. “To see the people of Columbia respond so overwhelmingly to this is phenomenal for our great city. I’ve seen firsthand the sheer delight on people’s faces as they enter the park and realize this is their stadium, this is their park.”

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It’s the day of the Great Adventure Bay Race between Adventure Bay’s Mayor Goodway and Foggy Bottom’s Mayor Humdinger, but Mayor Goodway is nowhere to be found. PAW Patrol to the rescue! Ryder summons Marshall, Chase, Skye, Rubble, Rocky, Zuma and Everest to rescue Mayor Goodway and to run the race in her place. Using their unique skills and teamwork, the pups show that “no job is too big, no pup is too small,” and share lessons for all ages about citizenship, social skills and problem-solving as they make several heroic rescues on their race to the finish line.

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But I’m Not A Critic Though (BINACT), the multi-genre platform dedicated to supporting independent music artists, celebrates 4 years of bringing underground talent to the forefront with their annual music showcase. Previously titled, “BINACT Brings the Beats”, this year’s show “The Glow Up” serves as a coming of age for the organization with a larger focus on branding and guest experience. The concert, taking place on May 25th at The Senate in Columbia, SC, features a mixed-genre lineup of some of the best underground talent in the South East. This year’s acts include Illadell, Patx, $pidey, Ray Lejune, Axnt and Chels Blaize and other artists from South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia.

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Bring a blanket, chair or take a seat at the amphitheater. Enjoy music with friends and family at the Wyman “Mac” Rish Riverwalk and Amphitheater in West Columbia. Relax and enjoy the view of the Congaree River or take a walk along the beautiful winding trail while listening to the concert! All concerts are free and are great outings for families.

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Adapted for the stage by Simon Levy Directed by Chad Henderson APRIL 5 – 27, 2019

Trustus is going back to the Jazz Age as F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel “The Great Gatsby” comes to life on the Main Stage. Nick Carraway, a newcomer to Long Island, moves into a cottage next to the brilliant mansion of self-made millionaire Jay Gatsby. After witnessing many late-night parties at his mysterious neighbor’s house, Nick is finally invited to attend one of these legendary all-night celebrations where decadence is in great supply. When Gatsby begins a passionate pursuit of Daisy Buchanan, Nick is drawn into their world of obsession, greed and danger. Live music from Mark Rapp and Cola Jazz, jazz-age dance, and imaginative theatre collide in this production that will be the talk of the town. We suggest a bottle of bubbly when you attend.

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The Nar-Anon Family Groups is primarily for those who know or have known a feeling of desperation concerning the addiction problem of someone very near to you. We have traveled that unhappy road too, and found the answer with serenity and peace of mind.

When you come into the family group, you are no longer alone, but among true friends who understand your problem as few others could. We respect your confidence and anonymity as we know you will respect ours. We hope to give you the assurance that no situation is too difficult and no unhappiness is too great to be overcome.

Our program, which is not a religious one but a spiritual way of life, is based on the Twelve Steps of Nar-Anon. We’ve found that the working of these steps will bring the solution to practically any problem. We urge you to take this program and its twelve steps seriously. It has been as helpful to us as the Narcotics Anonymous program is to the addict. We only ask for the wisdom and courage to see ourselves as we really are, to do something about ourselves with the help of a Higher Power as we understand this, and for the grace to release our addicts with love and cease trying to change them.

Keep an open mind and attend as many meetings as possible. Feel free to share during the meeting. You may ask questions after the meeting. You’ll soon make friends and will feel very much a part of the group.

With the understanding that addiction is a disease, and the realization that we are powerless over it, as well as over other people’s lives, we are ready to do something useful and constructive with our own. Then, and only then, can we be of any help to others.

Founded in 1961, Historic Columbia shared one major trait with other preservation-based organizations—it had women largely to thank for its existence.

Join Director of Cultural Resources John Sherrer as we meet two key members of that tour de force – Jennie Dreher and Mabel Payne, whose respective efforts saved the Ainsley Hall House (today’s Robert Mills House) five decades ago and whose spirits continue to shape the character of our city today.

This program is a part of Columbia City of Women, a project dedicated to educating our city about its influential female leaders. Learn more by visiting the Columbia City of Women website.

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Join McKissick Museum on May 28th from 5:30pm to 7:00pm as we celebrate our newest exhibition and showcase some of the amazing additions made to our collections over the last three years. Our Curator of Collections, Christian Cicimurri will give a gallery talk beginning at 6:00pm. This reception is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.

Thomas Grant Jr. is a contributor to Coladaily.com. A sports Editor with the Lexington Chronicle and formerly the senior sports writer at the Times and Democrat, he has covered high school and college sports in the Midlands and surrounding areas for over 20 years.

Renee Lowder is a South Carolina native and has called Chapin home for the last 20 years. She is a graduate of the University of South Carolina’s Journalism School. She has worked in broadcast sales for both radio and television for over 25 years! Country radio is her passion. Renee is happily married with two sons and “Little Dip”, the family’s Brittany Spaniel. She loves spending time with her family and pulling for the South Carolina Gamecocks!

Matt Lee graduated from East Carolina University with a BS degree in Communication/Broadcasting. He has nearly 20 years of broadcast experience including on-air, production, programming, and marketing.

In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his son Cameron, his four rescue dogs, and melting into the couch watching college and Dallas Cowboys football.

“You can’t spell ‘Parties’ without ‘Pirates'”

Leslie Hayes has worked in radio for the past 17 years. Leslie is the head administrator for The Dude and Cola Daily. Leslie’s job includes payables, receivables, processing payroll, maintaining the office supplies, completing the commercial logs, etc. Leslie is the pivot point between the sales staff, programming and production. Originally from Pennsylvania, Hayes stays true to her home teams, the Steelers and the Penguins. Hayes is married with a daughter and two 4-legged kids.

“Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you!”-Dr. Seuss

Tyler Cup has worked in radio for over 10 years. Specializing in sports and sales, he has called play-by-play for football, basketball, baseball, softball, track, volleyball, and even wrestling. Tyler has served as the radio voice of the Lugoff-Elgin Demons athletic program since 2010.

“High school sports has always been a passion of mine. It’s the purest form of sport. Memories and local legends are made. It’s the basis of friendships and extended families in so many communities.”

Tyler hosts a local sports talk show on Mondays and has even done work for an ESPN affiliate.

“I have always thought local coverage and media is so important, it keeps people up to date in our community and allows local advertisers a place to grow its business, too.”

Chris Turner is originally from Chapin, South Carolina. He grew up on a farm there and still lives on a farm. Chris enjoys the outdoors with his two children, Caroline and Duncan.

He graduated from Newberry College with a BA in Music. He plays saxophone and enjoys watching Clemson beat the Gamecocks. Not an office favorite, but brings diversity as our token Tigers fan.

Turner genuinely cares about his clients. He is able to advise them to make decisions that will most benefit them and is always thinking in their best interest.

Allen has been a journalist since 1994, working all over the U.S. He came to Columbia in 2009, working locally at WLTX and as one of the first reporters at Cola Daily. He currently serves as Communications Manager for the USC College of Hospitality, Retail and Sports Management. He won a South Carolina Broadcasters Association Award of Merit in 2015 for breaking news coverage for Cola Daily. He is currently writing a book on USC Dance Marathon and its partnership with Palmetto Health Children’s Hospital. “I’m committed to telling the stories of Columbia and the people who make it a great place to live!”

Karamie grew up in Newberry County, and moved to West Columbia about eight years ago. She graduated from the University of South Carolina with a BA in Broadcast Journalism. The majority of her time working with ColaDaily is spent out covering stories related to the people and places of the Midlands. The seven years she spent working in Columbia’s Vista as a server and bartender well-prepared her with the ability to carry on a conversation with anyone. One of the biggest ColaDaily perks is utilizing that skill to talk with people from all walks of life, to convey their stories.

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Programming/Operations

Kirk Litton has more than 25 years of radio sales and management experience. Litton was named Sales Executive of the Year in 2006 for CBS Radio DC, and for Radio One DC in 2008 and 2009. In 2012 he moved to Columbia, SC to become owner and president of Hometown Columbia, which purchased stations WWNQ and WWNU. He served on the Board of Directors of the South Carolina Broadcasters Association from 2012-2015, and is a graduate of the National Association of Broadcasters Broadcast Leadership Training program, Class of 2012. He also serves as VP/Sales for MARC Radio of Florida. He and his wife of almost 18 years, Katie, have three children.

A graduate of Francis Marion University, Terry Ward began his newspaper career in 1989. Ward has won numerous South Carolina Press Association Awards for news and feature writing. Terry was a newspaper boy from ages 10-to-12, “It was exciting be the first one to see the news in the morning! Although we are now on a 24-hour news cycle, I still get a thrill to be the first one to see news as it’s released, or as it happens. ColaDaily gives me the opportunity to monitor the news and then share it with our community of readers. That’s why I love the business.”